I am currently in the process of applying to jobs in Seoul and I was wondering if there are any bad areas I should avoid, or, on the other hand, good areas of Seoul. Are most of the teaching positions near the centre or are they scattered throughout the city?

all over the seoul metropolis there are schools. i think one of the satellite cites would be a nice place to work in. bundang or ilsan. outside seoul (theoretically) but still close enough to come into seoul whenever to u want to.

inside the the city centre you have to deal with the pollution and crowds. maybe live outside the city centre but commute in to work in the city centre would be a good idea?

bit of an ambiguous question as what is good for one person will be bad for another person.

"east L.A. bad". (canuckistan). Apparently Cheongnyangni has a really bad rep amongst koreans, a sort of no-go area at nights. I've heard their stories that robberies, cons, and rough-ups are pretty common there, around the prostitute alley and bus stop area. Quite a few desperate people using the area, and i've seen plenty mean looking tattooed gangsta types walking around there.
But i've never been to east L.A to compare it.

I'd like to give a shot out to Bucheon. Sure, its not as nice as Ilsan or Bundang, but its closer and quicker to get to Seoul than those other two. Its also got everything those other two have minus Ilsan's lake. Its even got a small western-style mall now, although none of the shops are that great.

As for Seoul itself, Yangcheon-Gu is nice, most notably mok-dong. Gangseo-gu is a bit too far from things if you ask me; might as well be in Bundang or, yup, Bucheeon .